Five Filmstiftung-backed productions at the 70th Festival de Cannes
- In Competition: „In The Fade“ („Aus dem Nichts“) by Fatih Akin and „Jupiter’s Moon“ by Kornél Mundruczó
- Semaine de la Critique: „Los Perros“ by Marcela Said and „Teheran Taboo“ by Ali Soozandeh
- Quinzaine des Réalisateurs: „The Prince of Nothingwood“ by Sonia Kronlund
The 70th Festival de Cannes begins tomorrow. Two Filmstiftung-backed productions – the thriller „In The Fade“ by Fatih Akin and the fantasy drama „Jupiter’s Moon“ by Kornél Mundruczó – are competing for the Golden Palm. The socio-political dramas „Teheran Taboo“ by Ali Soozandeh and „Los Perros“ by Marcela Said can be seen in the Semaine de la Critique, while the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs sidebar will be featuring the documentary „The Prince of Nothingwood“ by Sonia Kronlund. In addition, the NRW-backed winner of the 2016 Student Oscar, „My Second Eye“ by the KHM graduate Ahmad Saleh, will be screening the showcase of Next Generation Short Tiger, which German Films and the FFA will be presenting in Cannes. „We are delighted for the filmmakers and their crews. Congratulations and bonne chance at the 70th Festival de Cannes!“, says Petra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.
Details about the Filmstiftung-backed films:
„In The Fade“ by Fatih Akin (Competition)
Fatih Akin’s thriller centres on a woman’s love for her family beyond the grave. Her life suddenly implodes when her husband and son die in a bomb attack. The police arrests two suspects: a young couple from the Neo-Nazi scene. The young woman wants justice – there isn’t any alternative for her. Diane Kruger, Dennis Moschitto and Ulrich Tukur are cast in the leads. „In The Fade“ is a production by bombero international in co-production with Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany, Macassar Productions (F), Pathé (F) and corazón international. The Filmstiftung NRW backed the film with 250,000 Euros, other funding came from Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, FFA, BKM and DFFF. Warner will be releasing the film theatrically.
„Jupiter’s Moon“ by Kornél Mundruczó (Competition)
An underage boy with a unique ability is interned in a Hungarian refugee camp. The boy can hover like an angel. A doctor wants to capitalise on the lad’s gift to make some money, but the boy soon captures his heart. On their run from the law, he remembers why he became a doctor in the first place and decides to use every means to protect the boy from his pursuers. Merab Ninidze, György Cserhalmi, Móni Balsai and Zsombor Jéger play the leads in the tragicomedy under the direction of the Hungarian film and theatre director Kornél Mundruczó. „Jupiter’s Moon“ is a co-production between Cologne’s Match Factory Productions and Proton Cinema (HUN), KNM (CH) and Chimney (S), in association with the broadcasters ZDF and Arte. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW backed the film with 200,000 Euros, other backers are the Hungarian National Film Fund, Eurimages, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung. International sales are being handled by Cologne-based The Match Factory.
„Teheran Taboo“ (Semaine de la Critique)
The animated social drama „Teheran Taboo“ by the Iranian director Ali Soozandeh tells the stories of a handful of people in Teheran, a city full of prohibitions and doctrines: Pari, who has to earn her livelihood to feed herself and her five-year-old son Elias by working as a prostitute; Babak, a music student, who is being put under pressure by the girl Donya to finance her virginity operation; and Sara who is living the traditional Iranian life of an obedient housewife together with her husband and his parents. Life for all of them changes when their various fates start colliding. „Teheran Taboo“ is a production of Little Dream Entertainment in co-production with Coop99 Filmproduktion in association with the broadcasters ZDF – Das Kleine Fernsehspiel, Arte and ORF; Camino Filmverleih is handling the theatrical release, with Celluloid Dreams overseeing international sales. The Filmstiftung NRW backed the film with 350,000 Euros, other funders are: Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI), DFFF, Vienna Film Fund, Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Filmstandort Austria (FISA), and HessenFilm und Medien.
„Los Perros“ (Semaine de la Critique)
Mariana is part of that Chilean upper class which takes privilege for granted. Despised by both her father and her husband, she feels attracted towards her enigmatic riding teacher, Juan, a former colonel suspected of being involved in human rights abuses during the dictatorship. But their unusual affair is now threatening to break through the invisible walls that have been protecting Mariana’s family from the past. „Los Perros“ by the Chilean director Marcela Said and starring Antonia Zegers and Alfredo Castro is a production by Cinéma Defacto (F) in co-production with Jirafa Films (CL), Rei Cine (ARG), Cologne-based augenschein Filmproduktion and Terratreme Films (PRT). The Filmstiftung NRW backed the film with 50,000 Euros, other funders are: Fondo Audiovisual Chile, CNC – Aides aux Cinémas du Monde, INCAA (Argentina) and ICA (Portugal), Creative Europe MEDIA, World Cinema Fund, among others
„The Prince of Nothingwood“ (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs)
Salim Shaheen has shot 109 films. Inspired by Bollywood and Hollywood, they have all been produced in Kabul, in „Nothingwood“. The documentary portrays the Afghan filmmaker Salim, and talks about more or less talented actors, shady investors and death threats. Sonja Kronlund’s documentary shows a land divided between tradition, the Taliban and its violent, but sometimes poetic present. The film by Gloria Films Production (F) was made in co-production with Cologne’s Made in Germany Filmproduktion. The Filmstiftung NRW backed the film with 70,000 Euros, further support came from the German-French Funding Committee and Eurimages.
„My Second Eye“ („Ayny“,Next Generation Short Tiger)
The „Next Generation“ initiative was launched by German Films in 1997 to present up-and-coming talents from German film schools on an international level. The „Short Tiger“ has been awarded by the FFA since 2000. German Films and the FFA’s joint initiative „Next Generation Short Tiger“ has existed since 2011. This year sees the „Short Tiger“ winners screening along with the best student films, including the Filmstiftung-backed winner of the Student Oscar, „My Second Eye“ by Ahmad Saleh. A total of eleven films are being presented in Cannes this year as part of „Next Generation Short Tiger“ with their filmmakers in attendance.
About „My Second Eye“: two eight-year-old boys move to a new town to fulfil their dream of playing music. They fall in love with a wonderful musical instrument and try everything they can to earn enough money to be able to buy it. This brings them so close to one another that they have to become one in order to pass this hurdle. The short animated film, which is also Ahmad Saleh’s graduation film at Cologne’s KHM, was supported with 18,000 Euros as part of the graduation film funding programme at the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.
The Festival de Cannes is one of the world’s most important film festivals. The 70th edition is taking place from 17 – 28 May, 2017. This year again sees the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW showcasing its activities in the German Pavilion at the umbrella stand of Focus Germany, an amalgamation of the eight German regional film funds, and German Films, in the International Village of the Cannes Film Festival. The German Pavilion is a meeting place and contact point for those accredited at the film festival in Cannes from the German and international film industries. Focus Germany can be reached there on tel. 0033-4-92590004.